Ahhh - beautiful Portugal! We only had a few short hours here today (from noon - 5:30 pm) so we had to hustle to get everything in. We started our day in the gym at 7 am. Unfortunately, the seas were very rough this particular morning, so I could only make it 15-minutes on the elliptical before I had to dash back to the cabin. I put on my motion-sickness watch that Andrew bought me years ago and, between that and a little nap, I was feeling better in about an hour. Luckily, the seas calmed as we approached Portugal, so I was able to finish my workout later that morning.
The first thing you see when the ship heads up the river in to Lisbon, are copies of two landmarks made famous in other cities - Rio & San Francisco. Both of these photos were actually taken on our way OUT of Lisbon, thus the dusky light, but you get the idea.
The next thing we saw was a beautiful little city nestled in to the side of a hill. Hundreds of years ago, the city was built only along the sea but an earthquake initiated a tsunami that decimated the city. After that, they moved the buildings up much higher to avoid a reoccurred, so the older buildings are found at the top of the hill, with newer building closer to the ocean.
First on our list of "must-dos" today is a stop at a famous pasty shop "Pasteis de Belem". We jumped on the bus and headed off almost immediately after getting off the ship. Opened in 1837, this shop specializes in little custard tarts. The tart shells are made of layers of flaky pasty (similar to phyllo) brushed in butter, which gives them a slightly salty taste. They are filled with a thick eggy custard, that browns on top when it bakes. The crisp, buttery, salty crust combined with the soft, rich custard filling is amazing!
The shop. The crowd out front is a line of folks waiting to get inside to order.
The product!Successful in our quest to find the perfect custard tart, we moved on to item number two on our list: ride one of the "elevators" or funiculars. Because Lisbon is built on a steep hill, they have public modes of transportation that take people from the bottom to the top. They are part of the very efficient bus/trolley/metro system that they have here in the city, and were included in our daily-pass.
Andrew next to the elevator
The hill we rode up. The picture doesn't do justice to how steep it is. Take our word for it, though, it's a good thing it doesn't freeze here or no one would ever get up or down!Finally, we ended our all-too-brief time in Lisbon with a trip through the central square in to the "shopping" district. Through the arch in the photo below are numerous streets that are dedicated to pedestrian traffic and are lined with shops, cafes, bars & restaurants. This area, as with similar areas in other European cities we've visited on this trip, are congested and a haven for the pick-pockets. However, if you're mindful of your belongings and don't expect to move too quickly, can be a people-watching paradise.
Day 15 - Sea day
A lazy day at sea today. These days can be long, but it's nice to have a break between ports. We were up early this morning at at the gym a little before 7 am. The captain told us yesterday that the waves are expected to increase throughout the day, reaching as high as 17 feet by evening. This morning, however, the water is relatively calm so I was able to make it through our whole 90-minutes at the gym. :)
After the gym and a shower, we had some breakfast up on the Lido deck, and then headed to one of the lounges to read. During the day, they dedicate the lounges on the ship to varied activities such as games, reading, or lectures. The one dedicated to reading is at the aft of the ship with a spectacular view of the ocean. We even spotted a pod of dolphins playing alongside the ship! Unfortunately, we didn't have our camera with us.
This evening is another formal night. Since we each only brought one formal outfit (to minimize luggage), just go back and look at the picture we took on the last formal night. We will look exactly the same tonight. Tomorrow morning we dock in Ponta Delgada in the Azores. We have a private guide booked to show us around the island, which is famous for geothermal activity such as a volcano and hot springs. That will be our last port before our 6-day crossing of the Atlantic ocean to Miami.
Enjoy your last port day before a long trek back to Miami (hopefully with a little gentler seas!).
ReplyDeletePortugal is gorgeous, I would love to visit there some day. My parents have been and it is one of their favorite places they have been to - I can see why.
Once you have rested I would love to hear which were your favorite places in your travels this time around.